Forum menu
Also had an immediate decrease in standing charge for the same electricity getting provided.
What is the standing charge.... it doesn't seem to be listed.
49.43 for Northern Scotland. Was 54.60 on the standard Octopus tariff.
Ok it's a small amount but it's exactly the same electricity and infrastructure.
Handy info here with links to explaining what and why the prices are what they are https://agileprices.co.uk/?region=P You can change region at the top
Well I've made the jump to Agile....Could be exciting!
I'm even considering a colour changing bulb [or similar] somewhere to give a quick visual indication of when's a good time to use power hungry devices.
But for now I've handed control of the kitchen UFH to IFTTT 😬
.... also considering a few WiFi plugs and simple electric heaters.
When the price drops below [whatever] switch them all on regardless of the time!
Cheap electricity for the next 6hrs on agile. A few pence or around 0p/KW
I've not switched from eon to octopus yet so I'll be paying the 27p until then 😭
I've baked some bread, the UFH is on as well as 2 x tumble dryers and a heater!
The home display thinks I've gone utterly bonkers!
But for now I’ve handed control of the kitchen UFH to IFTTT 😬
Seems I was far too trusting!!
I've had lots of failed Agile Octopus triggers on IFTTT so, at the moment it's not very trustworthy.
Instead I've written a bash script that, every 30 mins, gets the current energy cost for that half hour - depending upon whether it's above or below my threshold it fires off a webhooks message to IFTTT which then adjusts the underfloor heating temperature to either 28c (so on all the time) or 12c (effectively off).
That seems to be working a treat..... or at least it would be if the wind was blowing and prices were lower!!
I'm going to use the same system to control electric heaters hooked up to Kasa wifi plugs in my office and in the bedroom - any 'very cheap' heat is good heat regardless of the time of day!
Agile thread resurrection!
I finally made the switch to Octopus which only took 2 days. Surprisingly quick, I then switched to the agile tariff which only took 1 day. I am now ready for the cheap power tomorrow morning. I should wake up to a few rooms that are in double didgets °c rather than mid single figures.
@retrorick sign up for the saving sessions aswell. Although you'll probably need to wait a while before they have some history for you.
I've saved a decent chunk each month switching our dishwasher and washing machine to cheaper periods. Hybrid car charger also scheduled when below a custom limit. Standard charge is also lower.
Only downside has been a lack of bills unless I request one and that for some reason some days are defaulted to normal tarrif as they claim they don't have the half hour readings from the smart meter, although they appear in my app for those days 🤷♂️
I have signed up for the saving sessions.
Usually I use minimal electricity but I think I will be using considerably more in the future rather than gas central heating.
This evening I went for a walk during the peak pricing, cost me a bag of chips, curry and rice so I didn't save much in the end. 😔
Only downside has been a lack of bills unless I request one and that for some reason some days are defaulted to normal tarrif as they claim they don’t have the half hour readings from the smart meter, although they appear in my app for those days
That's a bit concerning, have they charged you the full rate standard tariff that most people are on (I think it's approx 27p/kwh) or tracker tariff rate for that day which is supposed to be based on an average of the agile prices??.
I'm on the verge of switching from the original tracker v1 to agile. It's a big decision because I'd be throwing away the old daily standing charge of 18p/day for a new daily standing charge of 54p/day and I don't expect there'll be any going back onto old tracker v1 if it doesn't work for me.
I've also got an old dumb car charger, so I'm currently experimenting with methods of automation to try and make it work with the half hour rates, basically in the form of a smart circuit breaker in the consumer unit.
It gets flipped to the Flexible Octopus tarrif for the day(s) in question. About 26p a unit plus the standing charge goes up.
It's in the Ts&C's but is a little odd. Only happened a couple of times. I'm still pestering them for a solution.
I think you can download the CSV? file for your consumption for each day split into 48 half hour periods.
I will try and keep track of these details and see if I can work out an expected bill.
Last night's cheap power resulted in a kitchen that was 13°c this morning and a bedroom that was also 13°c. I also did a load of washing.
@retrorick check out the Loop app as this will do all of what you need plus more. You could also try asking Octopus for n In Home Display (IHD)
I think Octopus are now pushing their Home Mini rather than a IHD.
Well that was a busy night....
3 x heaters going
Kitchen underfloor on
Dishwasher run
2 x loads of washing
1 x big tumble drier load
2 x ovens cleaned on the longest cycle
Immersion on for 3 hours
🥵
..... And was "paid" for all of it!
How are you doing automation for agile? I've got a few smart plugs which I've set up on simple Philips hue 4pm/off 7pm/on but I'm looking at trying to automate my old dumb car charger to turn on and off at half hour segments depending on price. I've found smart circuit breakers for the consumer unit but not sure how to go about controlling it.
How are you doing automation for agile?
Home Assistant is the usual answer (as long as the switches have an integration with HA)
Well that was a busy night….
3 x heaters going
Kitchen underfloor on
Dishwasher run
2 x loads of washing
1 x big tumble drier load
2 x ovens cleaned on the longest cycle
Immersion on for 3 hours
🥵
….. And was “paid” for all of it!
I did the same. Yesterday I used 37kWh over the 24hr period and the app says I spent 40p (+ standing charge).
Up to 22kWh today after last nights house warming session. Worth it for 10 minutes scheduling smart plugs and washing machines.
It'll probably go expensive/wrong when the wind drops and the temperatures drop?! I'll be back to a cold house.
How are you doing automation for agile?
Can't be bothered with HA so I have a very simple script running as a service on a RasPi checking the price every 30 minutes and sending webhook messages to IFTTT, which switches Tapo wifi plugs for the heaters on and off accordingly.
Electric UFH has a Warmup wifi thermostat which IFTTT also controls.
Ovens, washing machine, tumble drier and immersion* are all set on timers manually.
We have another place that I would LOVE to put on agile but Octopus are not keen to install a smart meter it seems. If they did I could control both houses with the same Pi!
* We have PV and a solar diverter so run the immersion via the boost button - I'd like to change it to another make of diverter which allows remotely control the boost. I already have this ability in the other place.
Yesterday I used 37kWh over the 24hr period
You can do better than that..... we used 44kWh yesterday before midnight - and we weren't even in the house before 5pm!
Lord only know what we used between midnight and 5am but I've used 46kWh up to now and I changed my threshold to not switch anything on until the price was below 0.5p/kWh so my total spend should be negative.
I really should go and buy a couple more cheap heaters 😉
I probably could but I err'd on the side of caution was drawing 5kw at one point and I thought that I might start tripping fuses for the sake of a few pence!
This morning I only ran heaters when the cost was negative or zero pence. I didn't have any washing to do, the dishwasher had its first use in over a year yesterday and pulling another 2kw on the tumble drier heating up fresh air did make me think about the electrical welfare of my house!
Balls! One of my WiFi infrared panels didn't turn off today 😭.
I had the wrong day in the 'off' part of the schedule.
Only 800w/h for 9hrs at reasonably cheap prices tho!
Probably the cost of a bag of crisps at the pub 🤔. Landing is warm though 🤣🔥
We have another place that I would LOVE to put on agile but Octopus are not keen to install a smart meter it seems.
And as if by magic I log on to Octopus to enter a meter reading and I'm given the option of booking a smart meter installation date!!
Obvs the system didn't work which was quite good as the only day available was when I was away next month (thought I'd book it anyway just in case I could persuade someone else to be there that day).
A quick email to octopus CS and they booked a day when I am available.... Excellent!
I've applied to go onto Agile Octopus today. I was seriously considering it beforehand, but my hand has now been forced as it looks like they are ending all old versions of Tracker tariffs (and maybe other old versions of wholesale price tracking type tariffs) and migrating everyone onto the latest versions. So I'll now be paying the extortionate daily standing charge like everyone else. I guess I will have to start getting creative with smart plugs and learn how to use the tumble dryer timer. At least the car has a reasonably good selection of timed charging options in it's app.
The previous few weeks on Agile have been good. I reckon I've halved my bill. Washing machine and tumble dryer timings are probably key to the savings.
I wonder if when the new lower cap price for energy comes in if there will be a reduction in savings that the Agile tariff generates?
My thinking being if the new rate drops by 5p from around 30p to 25p KW for electricity I think that the Agile tariff will be pricing the peak hours 4 till 7pm at nearer 30p 🤔.
That said I should be able to carry on avoiding peak power usage and the sun will be drying my clothes on the washing line over summer.
144 kWh used over the weekend. Total cost for me 0p.
Cost to Octopus for my exceptional effort £1.30.
Haha..... 206kWh used over Saturday and Sunday (Sunday was 108 which is a new record for me!) and I made 87p.
It was spoiled by MrsSB wanting to roast something on Sunday evening which made my Sunday cost +7p 😣
That said, the house was boiling and I got literally everything washed and dried!
I even resorted, in the absence of needing to [pyrolitic] clean the ovens, to running a 2.5hr washing machine drum cleaning cycle that heats the water up to 70c 😉
I see there's a price drop to 2-3p to his afternoon so I've got the electric heating set up to run at prices below 2.7p as it's cheaper than using oil and the weather today is crap.
Love Agile!
and learn how to use the tumble dryer timer.
The problem with ours is that it only allows 3, 6 or 9 hour delays which makes planning quite tricky.
We do have a dumb old TD (that's outside in the barn) which has an electric timer so you can turn the timer knob but it doesn't start [timing or drying] until the power is on.
So it can be controlled with a smart socket.
The [better] newer one that's in the house uses sensors rather than a timer and needs manually starting after power has been cut.
So it can't be controlled by a smart switch 😠
I'm unable to delay my tumble dryer start time. It needs a physical button press to start it.
My washing machine hits 90°c on the drum clean setting and uses nearly 3kWh. Takes around 3hrs to complete though.
26°c was reached in a bedroom. Way to warm for me. The residual heat held up for at least 24hrs.
Total cost for last week's electricity use came in at just below 70p for 158kWh plus standing charge.
My washing machine hits 90°c on the drum clean setting and uses nearly 3kWh. Takes around 3hrs to complete though.
Same here. I didn't know about the length of time so was marginally worried when I started the cycle with only 2.5 hours until prices jumped up - thankfully all the heating seems take place in the first couple of hours!
washing machine drum cleaning cycle that heats the water up to 70c 😉
Damn, didn't think of that and I've got some drum cleaner, I'll make a note for next time.
I did think to put the oven on to heat the kitchen (rather than the gas central heating), it's the coldest room in the house.
I see there’s a price drop to 2-3p to his afternoon
I'll turn some heaters on and do my bit too stabilise the national grid even tho it'll cost me money ⚡⚡😉
Looking like another negative price event Wednesday night into Thurs am
Cheap power tomorrow afternoon. I'll try my best to wipe out this week's electricity bill by doing my but to balance the grid. House might get a bit warm though!
Bugger, I've fully charged the car already on the cheap prices over the last few days.
Cheap power incoming on Friday!
Plug those electric heaters in and programme the timers!
There's 3GW of spare power being generated at the moment! Use power for the next 6 hours for nowt!
4 loads of washing and drying done today. Heaters have been on almost constantly as well as the electric UFH.... It's rising and will be all night!
2 days at nearly 60kwh each for me! 18p for 59kw (plus standing charge).
Fabric of the house is storing heat, which at this point in the year it would have been loosing it as I wouldn't be using my gas central heating on these mild days.
2025 hasn't had the greatest Agile start of the year but tomorrow electricity is down to 0.5p/kw for 30 minutes 😮 . Pity my car is fully charged. I'll top up the powerbank with a few hundred watts 🤣
yeah it's been a bit pants what with some nuclear generation being down for maintenance and a long period of grey windless weather. 😠
Definitely getting better again though.